BEIJING, March 11 (Reuters) - China’s civil aviation regulator will soon issue a statement on its website regarding media reports that it has asked the country’s airlines to suspend use of their Boeing 737 Max aircraft, an official at the regulator’s news department said.

Chinese media outlet Caijing reported that the regulator had made the move earlier on Monday, following a deadly crash on Sunday of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines. (Reporting by Stella Qiu and Brenda Goh)